June 11, 2022

12:06

Ívina Garcia – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – Search teams of Operation Javari, coordinated by the Federal Police of Amazonas (PF-AM) found on Friday, 10, organic material apparently human, near the port of Atalaia do Norte, during the search for Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips.

The evidence was forwarded to the National Institute of Criminalistics of the Federal Police, which is also conducting analysis on blood samples found in the boat of Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, 41 years old, known as “Pelado”, whose temporary arrest was decreed on yesterday, 9.

The search teams of Operation Javari went through the region of the Itaquaí River by river and air, at the last place where the duo was seen.

Also this Friday, the genetic materials of the British journalist Dom Phillips and the indigenous activist Bruno Pereira came from Salvador/BA and Recife/PE, respectively, to be used in the comparative analysis with the blood found on the boat.

Read more: Justice decrees temporary arrest of suspect for disappearances in Amazonas

Request for Collaboration

On the afternoon of Thursday 9th, the Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley (UNIVAJA), the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) and the Observatory of Human Rights of Isolated Indigenous Peoples and Recent Contact (Opi) signed a letter to the Government of Peru, requesting collaboration in the search for the indigenist and journalist.

According to the associations, the Peruvian ambassador in Brazil, Rómulo Acurio, responded promptly and expressed interest in “following up on the facts reported by the national and international media and informed that he immediately transmitted the request to the Peruvian authorities”, they report.

The area where the disappearance occurred, in Vale do Javari, is close to the border with Peru and the associations report the possibility of a connection between criminal agents who work in international drug trafficking and the disappearance of the two.

Petition

Earlier, the Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), Luís Roberto Barroso, ordered the Union to be faster in the search and to immediately adopt “all necessary measures” to locate the british journalist Dom Phillips and the indigenous activist Bruno Pereira, who disappeared since June 5.

The petition made by the Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) on June 8 was answered on Friday, 10, by Minister Barroso, who requests the use of all means and forces of the security forces working in the region and also asks for a guarantee of more security at the site.

Read more: STF determines that the Union adopt the necessary measures to locate missing persons in the Amazon

The case

The case happened on Sunday, October 5, after Bruno and Phillips received threats in the field, according to the Union of Indigenous People of Vale do Javari (Univaja). The organization claims that the indigenist was constantly threatened for his work against invaders in the region: fishermen, gold miners and loggers. The journalist, who was passionate about Brazil, was known for his reports denouncing violations of indigenous rights and was working on a book about the environment.

Since Monday, 6, teams from the Amazonas Secretary of Public Security (SSP-AM), the Univaja and the Brazilian Navy have been searching for the activist and the journalist. The Federal Police and the Army have also sent reinforcements. In addition, the PC-AM has opened a police investigation to investigate the case.